I caught a glimpse of Rome the next day at work.

I walked into the break room just as she was leaving. My arm brushed against her shoulder, sending chills down my spine despite the juvenile touch. I got a whiff of her scent, beautiful and seductive. I suddenly pictured her underneath me, her mouth forming that sexy O as she came all over my dick.

Fuck, I missed her.

I missed fucking her.

I spent the rest of the day in my office, grateful she was back on her feet and moving around. She didn’t seem sick anymore, but then again, I was only in her presence for two seconds.

Normally, my driver took me home from work, but I’d been walking lately. The cold air and the sound of traffic seemed to minimize the pain in my chest. I had nowhere to be, so I wasn’t exactly in a hurry.

When I walked up to my front door, Christopher was standing there. His hands were in his pockets as he leaned against the wall beside my door, his ankles crossed. His hair was untidy like he hadn’t bothered doing it that morning. His shoes weren’t as polished as usual either. “Didn’t expect to see you again.” I walked up the stoop until we were eye to eye. “Hope everything is okay.”

“No.” He flashed me a venomous look. “Everything is not fucking okay.”

“I haven’t slept with anyone.” Did he come over here to tell me off again? I’d already admitted my crimes and apologized for them. It was time to move on.

“No, not about that. Let’s go inside.”

I ignored the way he invited himself into my house. I got the door unlocked and we entered. I dropped my jacket on the coatrack and watched him do the same. “You want a beer—”

“No.” He locked the door behind him even though it was unnecessary. I lived in a great neighborhood. No one was going to break in and loot the place—at least if they weren’t stupid. “Rome doesn’t know I’m here, and I’ve got to make this quick.”

At the mention of her name, he had my full attention. “What’s up?” I hoped he would try to put us back together, to tell me Rome missed me and I just needed to fight harder for her. The longer I went without kissing her or touching her, the more insane I became. I was slowly losing my mind, missing that woman in my bed.

“It’s a fucking nightmare, man. I need your help.”

All my hope deflated. “What is it?”

“You remember that ex-boyfriend of hers?”

I didn’t like where this was going. I was already pissed—instantly. “Yes.”

“She told you what happened with him, right?”

Both of my hands formed fists. “Yes.”

“Well, what she didn’t tell you is he’s been stalking her for a while now.”

Stalking her? What the fuck? “What the hell did you just say?”

“You’re mad now…” He chuckled like this was somehow funny. “The reason why I asked you to give her a job at your office is because Hank went to her office a few months ago and harassed her. Luckily, I was there, so that scared him off, but apparently, he’d done it a few times.”

What. The. Fuck.

I’m gonna kill him.

I don’t need a gun or a knife. My hands would do.

I couldn’t speak because I was too angry. And that was a first.

Christopher continued when I remained silent. “She moved in with me, which I think was a great decision because of Hank. But a few days ago, he broke in to our apartment and ambushed her when she came home. They fought in the hallway. She broke his nose and wrist but took some damage herself. She wasn’t really sick. She was in the hospital.”

Now I couldn’t breathe.

He’d touched her.

He’d placed his hands on her.

Hurt her.

I stepped back slowly until the backs of my legs hit the couch. I fell with a thump onto the cushion, my heart beating so fast it actually hurt. I couldn’t catch my breath. So much adrenaline. So much fucking pain.

Christopher told me about his attempt with the cops and how it didn’t go anywhere. This man was too powerful as the DA for New York City. The guy was pretty much untouchable.

Until now.

Christopher watched me closely. “You haven’t said anything in about five minutes. Are you okay?”

I processed so much shit in minutes, and it took my brain a second to catch up. When I found my strength, I stood up again. “I can’t believe she didn’t tell me…”

“Since you aren’t seeing each other anymore—”

“I was seeing her the first two times he assaulted her.” I was yelling at Christopher even though he hadn’t done anything wrong. “I’ll take care of this.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know yet. But this problem is officially gone.” I stormed out of my own house and left Christopher behind, not giving a damn if he stayed or went. I didn’t even grab my phone or my keys.

And I ran all the way to Rome.

* * *

“Open the fucking door!” I slammed my fists into the wood like I was playing the drums. I kept knocking, bruising my knuckles without feeling even a hint of pain. “Rome, do as I say, or I’m gonna break it down.”

When she finally opened the door, she wore a resigned expression on her face. “I can’t believe he told you…”

I slammed the door so hard behind me the walls shook. “And I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.” I rushed her, forcing her back to hit the kitchen counter. My hands gripped the counter on either side of her as I got in her face, feeling so much anger—most of it directed at her. “You have a lot of fucking nerve, you know that?”

“What?” Clearly, that was the last thing she’d expected me to say.

“You left me because of my skeletons. But you have bigger ones. This asshole has been stalking you for months, and you didn’t run it by me? You didn’t think that was important information that I needed to know?” My nose pressed against hers as I continued to yell. “That my girlfriend could have been raped or taken, and I wouldn’t have had a clue about it. Fuck you, Rome.” I finally stepped back, my hands curling into fists.

Shocked, she stared at me with a pale face.

“Pack your shit. Now.”

“Whoa, what?” She couldn’t keep up with my thoughts.

I walked back to her, returning my hands to where they had been. “Pack. Your. Shit. You’re living with me until we get this taken care of.”

“I am not—”

“You wanna fight me?” I threatened. “Fine. But you’re gonna lose, Rome. You’re gonna lose so fucking hard.” My eyes were wide open, and my hands were shaking. “Do as I say, or I’ll make you. What’s it gonna be?”

Normally Rome would fight me tooth and nail. But she must have known I’d reached my boiling point. I was so insane with rage I couldn’t think straight anymore. Or she was really that scared, too afraid to stay in her own apartment because that psychopath could come back at any moment. “Give me a minute to pack…”

I finally stepped back after she was cooperating. I crossed my arms over my chest and stared her down. “Hurry your ass up. I don’t want you in this apartment a moment longer than necessary.”

* * *

The ride back to my place was saturated with intensity.

My hand was still tight in a fist on my thigh, my knuckles white and about to snap. I kept my eyes glued out the window, not looking at Rome or getting too close to her. I was so angry with her I didn’t know what to do with myself. I wanted to strangle her, suffocate her. The betrayal was so searing I couldn’t think straight.

She didn’t make the mistake of uttering a single word. I didn’t give a damn if my driver overheard our entire conversation, but to save herself some embarrassment, she was smart to stay quiet.

We arrived back at the house, and to my surprise, Christopher was still there.

“I didn’t know if you were coming back…didn’t have a clue how to—” He stopped talking when he saw Rome pulling her suitcase behind her into the house. He eyed her before he turned back to me, silently asking for an explanation.

“She’s living with me now.” I pointed to the door.

Christopher looked at Rome. “What’s going on—”

“We’ll talk about it later. But for now, I need to be alone with Rome.” I only kept my temper in check because he was kind enough to tell me the truth. But make no mistake, I was on the verge of screaming.

This time, Christopher did as I commanded. He walked out and shut the door, leaving Rome alone with me. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if that was a wise thing to do.

Once the door was shut and we were alone together, the silence was deafening. It was so quiet I could hear the blood pounding behind my ears. When I tightened my fists, I could hear the slight crack of my knuckles.

Rome stood beside her suitcase, her arms tight around her waist. It was the first time I’d seen her lose her confidence. She appeared apologetic, knowing she was guilty for what she had done. She didn’t hold her head high with elegance, with the respect of a queen.

I asked the biggest question on my mind. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You know why.”

“I really don’t.” I kept my voice low, but the threat in my tone never faded away. “And you’re going to tell me.”

“Because I knew you would do something stupid—like murder him.”

“That doesn’t sound stupid at all—quite the opposite.” I wanted this man’s body inside a dumpster on 12th Street, rotting away and stinking up the alley. I wanted his corpse to be cut into small pieces, perfect for feeding fish in the harbor.

“He’s a very powerful man—”

“And you think I’m not?” I was an opponent that never lost a battle.

“You’ve worked really hard to build this life. I didn’t want to tear you down with this.”

“Tear me down?”

“He can make your life a nightmare, Calloway. Christopher has tried intervening, but I know Hank would take his license away, get him fired, and strip away all of his accomplishments. I couldn’t let that happen to him. And I’m not gonna let that happen to you.”

“I’d like to see him try.” I closed the space between us, cornering Rome against the wall. “This is how this is going to work. You live here with me now. I’ll take you to work every day and anywhere else you want to go. But you stay in my sight at all times. Got it?”

She wanted to argue. It was obvious by the darkness in her eyes. Her lips pressed tightly together like she was trying to swallow the argument.

“I didn’t hear you.” I pressed my face closer to hers.

“I think it’s a little extreme—”

I grabbed her by the neck, unable to control my temper. “Wrong answer. This guy broke in to your apartment and messed you up. If anything, it’s not extreme enough. Now, you will do as I say. Got it?”

She didn’t push my hand away, but her eyes broke contact with mine. She was overpowered and outsmarted. She knew she was in the wrong for letting things get so bad without my help. “Okay.”

I finally dropped my hold and grabbed her suitcase, prepared to take her things to one of the spare bedrooms. “You’re staying with me until I figure this out. You are not to go anywhere without telling me. You are not to do anything without me knowing about it. So, forget about going on any dates or spending time with friends.”

* * *

I sat in the living room while she remained upstairs in her bedroom. I needed some time alone, to meditate and release all the anger bubbling inside me. I was so angry at Rome for not telling me, for needing my protection but never asking for it. But I was even more livid with the man responsible for this situation, the one who was stupid enough to think he could haunt my girl and get away with it.

I needed to come up with a plan to get rid of him once and for all.

As much as I would have liked to murder Hank, that wouldn’t work. He was too well-known by everyone in the city to just vanish. I had to learn more about this guy and figure out the best way to dissolve him, to kill his obsession with Rome.

Rome’s footsteps broke my train of thought. She descended the stairs and entered the living room, still in the same clothes she wore earlier. She’d been in her bedroom for hours, probably waiting until my wrath dispersed.

Not gonna happen.

She fell onto the chair beside me, her dress moving up above her knee. She pulled her hair over one shoulder, revealing her slender and beautiful neck. The smell of vanilla immediately struck me, bringing with it memories of our nights together.

I was still angry with her, and I suspected I would always be angry with her.

“What now?” she whispered.

“I’m thinking.”

“You can’t kill him, Calloway. Neither one of us would be able to get away with it.”

The fact that she’d already considered murder made me feel a little better. “I know.”

“This guy is a nightmare. I’m not sure how to get rid of him.”

“Trust me, I’ll figure it out.” I wasn’t going to let Rome be a target any longer. Where she went, I went. And if he came after her, he would have to deal with me. Now that she was beside me and our conversation was relatively calm, I turned my chin and looked at her, seeing her green eyes dark and dormant. I could see the faint bruising around her left eye, the place where Hank had struck her. The image of her fighting him off so she wouldn’t be raped killed me inside. Rome lived a selfless life of helping others. Of all people, she deserved this the least.

My hand moved to her cheek then into her hair while my lips kissed the faded bruise. Her skin felt cold to my lips, not warm from the fire like I was used to. My arm circled her waist, and I kissed her forehead, touching her for the first time in a month. At the first contact, my hands shook. I missed this affection more than I’d realized—and I already knew I missed it a great deal. “Everything will be alright. You don’t need to be scared anymore.”

Normally, she would argue and say she wasn’t afraid of anything. She would tell me she didn’t need me—or anyone else. Her tough persona would come out, her fists raised. But she didn’t do that this time. That was all the confirmation I needed. She had finally reached the end of the road. She was exhausted by the constant battle, knowing Hank would catch her off guard over and over.

My hand moved down her back, gently massaging her. “I won’t let anything happen to you.” I wasn’t letting her out of my sight until I knew Hank was really gone. I was excited that I’d get to spend more time with her, but I also loathed the idea because nothing had changed between us. She wanted romance, and I wanted whips and chains. She wanted to get married, and I wanted to be single until my last breath.

My conversation with my mother came back to me, and I pictured myself sitting on that balcony instead of her. No one would come to visit me, not even Jackson. I would have no children to remember me by, to come and read to me. There would be no wife to hold my hand and comfort me, even though she’d know I didn’t recognize her.

But those depressing images didn’t get to me. It was the fact that my life had nothing to show for it. If I lived a meaningless life, I would have a meaningless death. My need for control was irrelevant because I had no control over my own destiny.

“Calloway?”

Rome’s beautiful voice brought me back to the conversation.

“You slipped away…” She still remembered all my expressions like we hadn’t been apart.

“Just…” I didn’t know how to form my answer because I wasn’t entirely sure what I was thinking about. I’d never felt so confused. Before Rome walked into my life, I never thought about these things. But now, I was filled with doubt. “Nothing.”

Rome didn’t press her curiosity.

“I’m glad you’re alright.” I turned my attention back to her, my fingers worshiping her soft hair. I wanted to erase what had happened to her, to end Hank before he had the chance to even look at her ever again. This woman meant the world to me. When she hurt, I hurt. “If anything worse happened to you…” I couldn’t finish the sentence because it was too difficult. Just the suggestion of Hank overpowering her made me sick to my stomach.

“But nothing did.” Her slender fingers wrapped around my wrist, still cold. “That’s all that matters.”

I stared at her lips and ached to kiss her, to feel those soft lips against my mouth. I wanted to roll around on my sheets while I was buried deep inside her. I wanted to feel that connection with her, that powerful voltage that always healed all my aches and wounds. But she and I were still worlds apart.

Rome must have felt the connection too because she excused herself. “I should go to bed. It’ll be nice to get some sleep tonight. Haven’t been able to close my eyes for a few days…”

Probably because she was terrified that asshole would come back to the apartment. “Good night.” I unwillingly released her and watched her walk up the stairs until she was gone from my sight.

When I was alone, I lay back and stared at the blank TV. The woman of my dreams shared the house with me, her bedroom just down the hall from mine. Would I be able to stay in my own room and not slip under the sheets with her? I didn’t have a lot of self-control—not when it came to Rome.

* * *

I tried to get some sleep, but it was pointless. I stared at the ceiling in the dark, my hand resting on my chest. I hadn’t gotten laid in a month, and I knew that messed my cycle up. And I knew it had something to do with the brunette across the hall.

I didn’t own a gun, but I didn’t need one. If Hank somehow figured out Rome was here, I could take him down with my own fists. I wasn’t sure how he would even figure out she was in the house. He’d have to be stalking her like he was staring at her through a microscope.

A gentle knock sounded on my bedroom door before it cracked open.

I sat up in bed automatically, my reflexes taking over.

Rome poked her head inside, wearing one of my old t-shirts. She must have taken it with her when she left. I hadn’t seen it around the house in weeks. “Sorry to wake you…”

“I wasn’t asleep.” I stared her down and waited for an explanation.

“Can I sleep with you?” She asked the question as if it caused her pain to say the words out loud. “I can’t sleep—”

“Yes.” There was nothing I wanted more than to have this woman in my bed again. She wouldn’t be the only one to finally get some sleep. I would too. I pulled down the covers and patted the sheets beside me. “Come here.”

She walked to the bed then climbed inside, looking beautiful in my clothes. Her cold body lay beside mine, and she pulled the sheets over herself, surrounded by the warmth my body produced.

The second she was beside me, I grabbed her leg and hooked it over my waist, feeling her smooth skin under my fingertips. My face rested against hers, and the pain immediately stopped. Just having her next to me made me feel better, made me feel some form of joy. My cock was hard, and I knew she could feel it, but that was beyond my control. I was so hard up for her that my dick thickened anytime we were in the same room together.

She cuddled against my chest and sighed deeply, like she was finally relaxing and drifting away. Her hand circled my waist, and her strands tickled my skin at the slightest movement. It felt like we were four months in the past, when the two of us were better together than apart.

I pressed a kiss to her forehead, feeling my thoughts slip away. “Good night, sweetheart.”

“Good night, Sexy…”